Vaccine FOMO Is Real
Don’t worry, it will be your turn soon
Social media has been an accelerant to the demise of so many once-foundational aspects of our collective culture, from democracy to journalism to basic human decency, but I have to say, as a 45-year-old human in the month of March in the year of 2021, it has been an absolute blast lately. It won’t stay this way for long; it might not be like this next week. But I can’t stop scrolling right now.
The reason? Vaccine FOMO. After a year of pain and isolation and stress and loss, there is clear reason to believe dawn is coming, that it’s about to get better, that we might actually have our lives back, and soon. Covid-19 cases keep dropping, vaccines are rolling out and are about to come flooding out, the sun is shining, they’re playing baseball in Florida, and the president hasn’t said something that made me want to hit myself in the face with a polo mallet since January 20. Things are looking up.
And you can see it. You can see it right there on social media. You’ve seen it, I’ve seen it: People are getting their vaccines. The selfies — often staged at actual selfie stations at vaccination spots, which sounds like something you should make fun of but is clearly a societal good — are everywhere now, with rolled-up sleeves and surgical masks and a smile so huge you can see it under a face shield…
